Crafting Parties

28 Mar Crafting Parties

You have probably become aware of the trend towards having crafting parties for adults. There are public events where you can learn to paint while you drink wine, as well as parties in homes. These feel like the sort of evening I’d actually leave the house for – being creative while relaxing with a few crafty friends!

Crafting parties are a topic that has been much on my mind these past few months. Often at craft fairs my daughter and I have been approached with requests to teach how to make some of our items, but didn’t feel ready to do so. This winter we’ve put on our thinking hats and decided we will be ready for the next request!

This has meant thinking about the kinds of craft projects that would appeal to people – of a variety of different ability levels and skill sets. The projects would also need to be arranged by the amount of time needed (on average) to complete them. To bring the options down to a more manageable number, we decided to pick a theme for each month, so for April 2018 everything has a celestial color palette – blue, purple and gold.

It has been surprisingly complicated to look at potential projects and realize that not everyone has specialist tools on hand, so have had to work out the best alternative options to still get good results. We have also been experimenting with ways to present the construction steps, and currently have created videos and downloadable pdfs.

We’ve had great fun thinking about the presentation of the kits! While we want to offer them in what we have discovered are called ‘tuck top mailing boxes’, the delivery time was too long for our first fair, so for now the kits will be launched in poly bags and boxes.

We’ve also been working out how to position these kits. As card carrying introverts, hosting parties ourselves doesn’t appeal, but are more than happy to send the kits to you and let you work together with your friends at your house. We are also happy to go and teach the projects in person for team-building activities, or to provide for the opportunity to relax with work mates over lunch.

AirBnB ‘Experiences’ have recently arrived in Philadelphia, so we are also plotting a “English tea and craft afternoon” experience. It will be a friendly sit down to cakes, scones and sandwiches – not the overblown hotel idea of ‘afternoon tea’ – plus gentle chat and making time. It is again the sort of event I would love to find if I were visiting a city, and was a bit museum-ed out and needed a change of pace.

So making crafting kits for crafting parties and teaching at workshops are our new directions. If you are a crafty soul who would like to make something new for yourself, a more social soul who has friends who like to craft, or are looking out for a crafting experience to share where you work, visit https://leavesofpaper.com/diy to read the latest news!